Automatic injector for gas service-pipes.



W. E. VAUGHN. AUTOMATIC}. INJECTOR FOR GAS SERVICE PIPES.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 3, 1908.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

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W. E. VAUGHN. AUTOMATIC INJECTOR FOR GAS SERVICE PIPES.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 3, 1808.

Patented Feb. 2,

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WALTER EDGAR VAUGHN, on ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

AUTOMATIC INJECTOR FOR GAS SERVICE-PIPES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented. Feb. 2, 1909.

Application filed March 3, 1908. Serial No. 418,977.

To all whom it men "concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER E. VAUGHN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Injectors for Gas Service-Pipes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in automatic injectors for gas service pipes, and has for its object the provision of novel and effective means whereby a solvent may be automatically fed to a gas service pipe as occasion may require, for the purpose of dissolving deposits of crystallizatlon or other substance which may have accumulated in the service pipe, and which tend to interfere with the normal flow of the gas. g

It is well known that artificial gas such as is manufactured for general use is a product that the chilling temperature will cause to crystallize and also form a frosty substance in the pipes through which the gas passes. This is especially true in localities where the temperature falls to a very low point, and these deposits accumulate in the'gas' lines to such an extent as to oftentimes seriously interfere with the normal flow of the gas, and many times, completely checking the flow thereof. 7

It is the practice in many localities where the temperature falls to a very low point during cold Weather to inject into the gas lines or pi es a suitable solvent which will dissipate t e crystallized products of the gas, or the frosty substance which has accumulated'in the pipes, so as to free the latter of such substance and: ermit the normal flow of the gas. This solvent is usually in the form of a liquid, such as gasolene,-wood alcohol, or a liquid which is known in the trade as gas solventine.

My invention embodies an automatic de-. vice connected into the gas pipe in such manner that'the liquid used for a solvent will be automatically fed into the gas line without the aid of an operator, and in order to describe my invention reference will be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, wherein is shown a practical embodiment of the invention, though .I would have it understood that in the pracby a c osuremember 9 of any suita tice of such invention, various changes may be made in the details of construction of the device without departing from the spirit or sco e of the invention. t

n the drawings, Figure 1. is a view partly in side elevation and partly in diagram illustrating the manner 1n whichconnection'is made with the gas service pipe and gas main, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a part of the connections between the solvent tank and the gas service pipe, Fig. 3 is a central vertical sectional v1ew of the solvent tank. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of a part of the diaphragm, showing in detail the tension regulatlng means.

The device, generally stated, comprises a tank or reservoir for containing a quantity of solvent to be automatically fed to the gas pipes, a connection being made between the gas service ipe and the tank whereby the pressure in t e latter will be that of the normal pressure in the gas service line; this. pressure inthe tank is exerted against the diaphragm which is connected with a valve that normally closes the outlet port of the tank. Upon the pressure in the gas service pipe bein reduced below the normal, owing to crystallization therein, the pressure in the tank is correspondingly reduced and the valve is opened into the gas service line.

The device in ractice is installed at the highest oint of t e gas pi ing, either ahead of or be 'nd the meter. Then the gas pressure is determined, a spring within the tank is adjusted to conform to such gas pressure, and when the pressure in the service line decreases, a corresponding decrease in the pressure occurs in the'tank, and the spring forces the diaphragm downwardly so as to open the valve and permit the discharge of the solvent.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 5 indicates a suitable tank adapted to contain a desired quantity of any suitable solvent which is to be automatically fed into the gas service line. This tank may be of any suitable size or form, and is preferably provided with a hinged cover or top 6 which after being closed is preferably locked in the closed position as by a lock 7 so as to prevent tampering by unauthorized persons with the adusting spring which is contained within the tank. It is desirable and referable,that the tank .be. provided with a lling spout 8 near theup er end which may be normally closed b e form.

A diaphragm 10 which may be of, leather or any other desired material is secured in the tank near the top thereof, the periphery of the diaphragm being firmly fixed to the walls of the tank, and the diaphragm being provided at its center with a hub 11, provided with a centrally-threaded aperture. Into this aperture is received the enlarged threaded upper end 12 of the valve stem 14, the said valve stem being provided on its lower end with a valve 15, normally closing the outlet port 16 provided in a valve seat 17 secured in the bottom of the tank 5.

'lhe valve stem 14 is provided on the u per end with the enlarged head 12 so as to provide a convenient means for receiving a screw 18 by means of which the tension of the spring 19 is regulated or adjusted. 'lhis spring 19 in the present instance is shown as being connected at one end to the inner wall of the tank 5 below the cover 6, and extending over the screw 18 by which it is engaged. lhus by turning the screw 18 into or out of the head 12, the tension on the spring 19 is regulated to conform to the desired pressure.

'1 he valve seat 17 is provided with a nipple or sleeve 20 which projects throi gh the bottom of the tank to afford means for connecting therewith by means of union 21 and elbow 22, the solvent discharge pipe 23, the discharge end of which connects into a T or union 24. In the present illustration of the device the solvent tank is illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings as connected into the line hehind the meter 25. Connection is made from the T or union 24 by means of a pipe 26, a T 27, from which T 27 connection is made with the gas main 28 by means of pi e 29. Connection 30 leads from the? 27 to t 1e meter 25.

Gas is admitted from the service line to the tank 5 thror gh the medium of a pi e 31 connecting with the T or union 24 an with the tank at a point near the upper end of the latter, so that the gas will be discharged into the tank at a point above the solvent contained therein. By the manner in which the solvent feeding pipe is connected to the serv ice line it will be observed that the flow of gas into the solvent containing tank will not be interrupted in any manner, as the pipe 31 which conducts the gas from the service pipe to the solvent containing tank leads from the top of the T or union 24.

The construction of the device will, it is thought be clearly obvious from the foregoing description, and the operation thereof may be briefly described as follows: It will of course be obvious that the same pressure obtains in the solvent containing tank be tween the solvent contained therein and the diaphragm as obtains in the gas service pi e, consequently the diaphragm is normall held extended, and the valve 15 is held in the closed position so as to shut off any flow of the solvent into the solvent feeding pipe 23. However, upon the normal pressure in the gas main or gas service pipe decreasing owing to the crystallization of the gas products, or the accumulation of other substances in the pipes such as would tend to retaid the flow of the gas, the pressure in the solvent containing tank is correspondingly reduced, and the spring 19 forces the diaphragm downwardly causing the valve 15 to be unseated so as to allow a quantity of the solvent contained in the tank 5 to automatically feed into the solvent feeding line 23 and from thence into the service pipe and gas main. As soon as the substance has been removed from the pipes, normal gas pressure is regained, the diaphragm is automatically expanded owing to the increased pressure in the solvent containing tank 5 and the valve 15 is automatically closed so as to shut off further flow of the solvent to the feeding pipe It will be observed that the device is simple and inexpensive to construct, may be suitably mounted and supported at any point desired, and readily connected into the gas service line, the connection shown being of practical and convenient form, as well as one in which the flow of the gas to the solvent containing tank is not interfered with as fully explained above.

While the device is shown in the accomanying drawings as used in a gas service line or pipe in which a meter is interposed, it will of course be understood that the device can be used in other connections, for instance it may be so arranged as to feed the solvent to a gas are line, to a lamp post, or other line in which no meter is placed.

Having what I claim is:

1. In an automatic injector for gas service pipes, the combination with a solvent containing tank, a diaphragm therein near the upper end of the tank, a valve controlling a port in the bottom of the tank, a valve rod connecting said valve with the diaphragm, a spring carried by the tank and connected with said diaphragm and a solvent feeding pipe connecting with the bottom of the tank, of agas service line to which said solvent feeding pipe is connected, and connections between said gas service line and said tank below the diaphragm in the latter. 2

2. In an apparatus for automatically feeding a solvent to gas service lines, the combination with a gas line, of a solvent containing tank provided with an outlet port in the bottom thereof, connections between the gas line and the solvent containing tank for feeding gas to the latter, connections between the solvent containing tank and the gas service line for feeding a solvent from the tank to said service line,

fully described my invention,

a diaphragm within the solvent containing tank normally held extended by the gas pressure in said tank, and a valve rod connected at its upper end to said diaphragm 5 and provided atits loweriend with a valve normally closing the outlet port of said tank,

said diaphragm acting when the normal gas pressure in the tank is reduced to auto- 

